Knitting machine



QNo Model.)

W. D. HUSE.

KNITTING MACHINE. No. 313,5 93,

2 SheetsSheet 1.

Patented Mar. 10, 1885.

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W'ARREN D. HUSE, OF LAOONIA, ASSIGNQR TO 0. 'IWOMBLEY, OF LAKE VIL- LAGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND T.

S. NOWELL, OF BOSTON, MASS.

KNITTINGeWIACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,593, dated March 10, 1885.

App'ication filed November 1, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN D. HUSE, of Laconia, county of Belknap, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Myinvention relates more especially to cir- 1o cular-knitting machines, and has for its object the production of a circular machine having the capacity of automatically changing the color or class of yarn employed, as for the pro duction of stripes, and also to automatically I5 insure the product-ion of slack courses and welts.

Patents of the United States N 0. 239,168 and No. 239,169, dated March 22, 1881, and granted to me, to which reference may be had,

show and describe two different machines, that described in the first-i'nentioned patent employing two different threads, either of which may be used, as desired, according to the demands of a pattern-surface, while that 2 described in the second patent employs a series of cams, and has means to automatically move them, according to the demands of a pat tern-surface, to produce regular knitting, and at the proper times slack courses and welts.

The machine to be herein described is adapted for all the uses described in the said two patents.

In the machine described in the Patent No. 239,168, (when the threads were changed for striping) the incoming thread was lapped over two or three needles before the thread to be withdrawn was moved into a position where it could not be taken by the needles, but could be caught and broken off, and the change in 0 position of the two thread-guides was effected by one movement of a cam-disk-that is, the positions of both threadfguides were changed before the cam-disk stoppedthe said cam; disk being operated by a rod under the con- 4 5 trol of a patternsurface; but with such machine in rapid motion it occasionally happened that the incoming thread lapped but one needle. To do good work at least two needles should be lapped by the incoming thread, and to enable the machine to be run at high speed and insure the lapping of at least two needles (No model.)

I have provided means whereby the thread to be inserted is normally arranged to overlap four needles, and have changed the construe tion of the cam-disk and the means for moving it, so that two movements of the said cam disk instead of one, as heretofore, are necessary to effect the insertion of one thread and the withdrawal of the other. Giving the disk two movementsinstead of one to effect a change of color in the threads delivered singly to the needles enables me to leave both thread-guides in position to deliver their threads to two or more needles in succession, so that I may make the end of the incoming thread overlap any. 6 5 desired number of needles, and by giving two movements to the canrdisk for each change of thread the liability of missing a stitch and forming a hole is absolutely avoided.

The machine described in the Patent No. 239,169 shows one rod controlled by a patternsurface, and the said rod at one rotation of the cam-cylinder strikes against a tooth of a cam-disk pivoted on the said cylinder, and the cam-disk, by connecting devices, actuates the knitting cam of the cam plate, which moves the plate-needles, and this camdisk for the formation of a welt was moved twiceonce at each of two successive revolutions of the cam cylinder and plate-to withdraw the plate-needle to form the welt, and the cam cylinder and plate were then rotated. one or more times,according to the number of courses desired in the welt, and the welt having been made of proper length, the knitting-cam of the camplate was at the next rotation of the cam-cylinder and cam-plate moved outward from the center of the said cam-plate to re store the plate needles in position for regular knitting. Each of these three changes of the 0 said k nittingcam were effected during one full rotation of the cam-plate and cam-cylinder, and, as therein provided for, the first and second movements of the knitting-cam, were made during two successive rotations of the 5 cam plate and cylinder; but the third. movement of the k nitting-cam to bring all the plateneedles back into operation was not made until two full rotations of the cam-plate and camcylinder after the second movement of the knitting-cam, which effected the complete withdrawal of the plate-needles. In this old plan two loops were left on the plate-needles, which were drawn back for the formation of the welt, and two courses of fabric were knitted by delivering thread into only the hooks of the cylinder-needles, and the welt, when completed by a third course which took into it the loops previously held back by the plateneedles, contained a double or thick course, which by some is considered objectionable.

For the formation of a welt but three complete rotations of the cam-cylinder areactually necessary; but when the cam-disk which effects the change of the knitting-cam that actuates the plate-needles is moved but one step at each rotation of the cam cylinder and plate, as in my said Patent No. 239,169, it is impossible to make a welt during less than .four complete revolutions of the camcylinder and plate, and then there will be but two courses in the looped or bulged part of the welt.

In this my present invention 1 have provided two rods, which are adapted to engage the cam-disk for effecting the changes of the knitting-cam for the dial or plate needles and the formation of a welt twice during one complete rotation of the cam-cylinder, and the cam-disk is itself provided with an increased number of teeth. 7 This change referred to enables the first and second movements of the cam-disk to respectively effect the withdrawal of the plate-needles far enough to prevent them from dropping stitches, and then to draw them yet farther back out of position to prevent the delivery of thread into their hooks during one complete rotation of the cam-cylinder, and consequently each plate-needle so drawn back holds but one loop, and that one in its hook, instead of two, as usual, and then, as herein shown, I have arranged to knit three courses by delivering thread into the hooks of only the cylinder-needles; but it is obvious thata welt might be made by knitting but two courses, as described, by the thread delivered into the hooks of the cylinder-needles.

By moving the cam-disk last referred to twice during one complete rotation of the cam-cylinder all the courses of knitting entering into the welt may be thrown up. from the main part of the fabric.

Figure 1 represents in top view a sufficient portion of a circular-knitting machine for rib work, such a machine as is shown in my said patents to enable me to illustrate my present improvements added thereto. Fig. 2 is a partial front view thereof, sufficient to show my improvements in the devices which are operated toeffect the formation of the welt. Fig. 3 is a somewhat similar view with the needlecylinder and connected parts in a different position, to show the present improvements in cams,.the said figure being added to show the shape of the said cams. Fig. 6 is a detail to represent the canrdisk 7c in another position. Fig. 7 is an under side view of the cam-plate, the dotted lines showing the cams in their second position.

The plate-needle bed A, cam-plate Y, to reciprocate the plate-needles, the bed B, for the cylinder-needles, the cam-cylinder O, to reciprocate the cylinder-needles, the thread-guides G H,.levers I J pins 6 e, cam projections ff, the ledge M, thread-catching lever X, cam u, guide 12, yokez, cog-wheels R S T, cam V, pawl \V, ratch et-wheel Q, pattern surface or chain P, and the cam-disk k, with the exception of an extra number of teeth upon the latter, are the same in construction and operation as in my Patent No. 239,168, referred to. The lever a and link a hereinafter described, which form part of the actuating devices for the cams 20 and 21 of the cam-plate, and also the cam-disk a and cam a to aid in effecting the change of position of the usual knitting-cam of the cam-cylinder. the position of which cam is changed for the production of a slack course, are the same in construction and operation as are the parts designated by like names, but marked, respectively, G, f, Q, and R in my Patent No. 239,169, so the operation of these common parts need not be herein more fully described.

The cam-disk is, herein shown, has eight teeth, numbered from 1 to 8, inclusive, as in Fig. 3, and co-operating with the said disk are two rods or stops, 1) I), carried by a lever, b

pivoted at 1) upon the frame of the machine, and having a foot, I), to be acted upon by a suitable projection of the pattern surface or chain 1?. 7

As shown in Fig. 3, the rods or stops 1; b are lifted, the rod or stop b has just operated against the tooth 2, and has turned the camdisk kin the direction of the arrow 40 upon it, and has brought one of the cam projections, f, between the pins e of the levers J and I, connected with the thread-guides G and H, and with the point of the cam just readyto move the lever I, both of the threadguides in such figure being in position to supply their threads to the needles, the thread of the thread-guide G, last to come into operative position, and inserting what is called the incoming thread,acting at such time to lap the thread over the cylinder-needles.

In the position Fig. 3, further movement of the cam-cylinder C in the direction of the arrow 18 will cause the tooth 3 tostrikethe rod or stop 6 and move the cam-disk it far enough to bring the cam projection f (it then resting with its point just at that pin 6 which is attached to the lever I of the thread-guide H) far enough under the said lever to move it and throw the thread-guide H out of operative position, thus withdrawing its thread from the range of the cylinder-needles and placing it in position to be caught by the clamp X, as in my Patent No. 239,168, when the said thread will be broken off.

In Fig. 6 the camdisk is shown with the tooth 2 against the rod or stop I), and with the cams ff, pins 6 e, and parts of levers I J in the positions they did occupy with relation to each other when the thread-guide G was out of operative position, or just before the said cam-disk was moved by the rod 1) to place the said thread-guide in operative position, as in Fig. 3. These two changes of the canrdisk it take place, as described, during a single rotation of the cam-cylinder 0. Increasing the distance between the rods 1) 2) increases the number of needles over which the incoming thread may be lapped. Both rods 6 Z) having operated, the lever If will be dropped until the threadguides are again to be changed.

The link a attached at one end to thelever a, and before described, has its other end eonneeted with an elbow-lever, a pivoted at a upon the cam-plate Y for the plate-needles, and the other end of the said elbow-lever is connected with a lever, a, attached to the shifting parts of the cams of the said plate Y, cams 20 and 21, Fig. 7, and such as shown in Fig. 3 of my Patent No. 239,169. The lever on and its described connections operate the said cams as and for the purposes described in my said patent. The canrdisk 0, having the cam projections c c to act upon thelever a to move the cams of the cam-plate Y, also has eight teeth, (see Fig. 2,) as has the cam-disk 7t, referred to. The teeth of the disk 0, numbered 9 to 16, inclusive, are adapted to be. struck two in succession during one rotation of the cam-cylinder by the rods or stops 0 0, each pivoted upon a lever, 0", provided with a pin,

0, and the said lever is held up, with its rods, above the ledge M, as in Fig. 2, so long as the pin 0 rests upon a projection of the pattern surface or chain P. These two pins act in snoeession on the teeth of and turn the cam-disk 0 far enough during one rotation of the cameylinder to enable one of the cam projections c c to be carried or moved fully under the rear end of lever a to effect the partial, and then immediately afterward the full, withdrawal of the plate-needles during one rotation of the cam-cylinder, to enable the said needles to hold but a single row of loops preparatory to knitting the courses, which in the welt are to stand up 'free, as an open pocket, upon the main part of the knitted fabric.

In Fig. 2 the rod or stop 0 is supposed to have just operated the cam-disk c by striking the tooth 16, and further movement of the cam-cylinder for but a small part of a rotation has brought the tooth 15 into position against the rod or stop 0*, so that further movement of the cam'cylinder in the direction of the arrow 18 will move the cam-disk 0 far enough to bring the cam part 0 thereof (see Fig. 5) an der the lower end of the lever a, thus eifectiug the change of position of the cams 20 and 21 of the cam-plateY to insure the drawing back of the plate-needles so far that they will not receive upon them the thread being delivered into the hooks of the cylimler-needles.

The slack-course cam-disk, herein marked a", and toothed at its periphery, is substantially the same in construction and operation as that marked R in my Patent No. 239,169, and it will be operated at the proper time by a rod, (1 herein shown as broken off to show the rod 0 behind it, the rod d being connected with a lever, (1, provided with a pin or foot, d, which at proper times is acted upon by a projection on the pattern chain or surface P to elevate the said rod above the ledge M and in the range of the said disk.

In the drawings I have shown but one plateneedle, 11, and one cylinder-needle, 42, and

have shown them in Fig. 2, all the other needles having been omitted because the same as those shown and as common.

The lever 43, which is moved by the cam a and cam-disk a is substantially the same as that marked by the letter S in my Patent No. 239,169, and the said lever is suitably connected with and so as to change the position of the knitting-cam of the cam-cylinder to change the length of the loops drawn by the cylinder-needles as in the said patent.

In Fig. 1 I have marked the latch-opener 454:.

The cams 20 and 21 are, it will be noticed, shaped a little different than in my Patent I do not claim a cam-wheel having long and short teeth, nor do I claim a cam-wheel having broad and narrow teeth, the broad teeth being moved by a stationary stop secured to the frame of the machine.

I claim- 1. A circular series of plate-needles, a camplate, Y. provided with movable cams, a bed for the plate-needles, a bed for cylinderneedles, a series of cylinder-needles, a cam-cylinder, and means to rotate the said cam-cylinder and cam-plate, acam-disk, c, actuating devices between it and the cams of the plateneedle cam plate, and means to move the said cam-disk, combined with a canrdisk, It, means to move it, and two threadguides and intermediate devices connected therewith and actuated by the said disk to effect the introduction to or removal from the path of the cylinder-needles of the thread carried by either of the two thread-guides, substantially as described.

2. The cam-plate, the cams, the lever a, and a support therefor carried by the cam-cylinder, the cam-cylinder, and toothed cam-disk c, pivoted thereon, and means between the said lever a and the cams of the cam-plate to move the said cams, and means to movethe said cam-cylinder and canrplate, combined with two rods, 0* c, the lever upon which they are mounted, the pattern chain or surface, and means to move it, the said rods eing adapted each to be struck in succession by two successive teeth of the said cam-disk during one rotation of the camcylinder, to I operate substantially as described, and permit the cams which control the position of the dial-needles to be moved partially and then fully back, as set forth, during one complete rotation of the cam-cylinder,and insure the retention of but a single row of loops in the hooks of the plate-needles while the weltcourse is being knitted, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The cylindrical needle-bed, cylinder-needies, cam-cylinder. means to move it, disk 70, provided with teeth, as described, and two thread-guides and connecting means between them and the said disk and operated by the latter, combined with two rods and means to place them in position to be struck in succession during one rotation of the cam'cylinder by two successive teeth of the said cam-disk,

20 whereby the said disk is permitted to rest between the first and second movements or while the incoming thread is being lapped over two or more needles, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The cylindrical needle-bed, cylinderneedles, cam-cylinder, two thread-guides, the cam-disk provided with teeth, and means between the said thread-guides and cam-disk whereby the latter actuates the thread-guides at the proper time, combined with means to actuate the said cam-disk twice in quick succession during a part of rotation of the camcylinder, to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WARREN D. HUSE. WVitnesses:

B. J. NoYEs, W. H. SIGSTON. 

